The Badgers Abroad Blog

Nick Holt graduated from UW-Madison in 2002 with a BA in International Relations [now International Studies]. He studied abroad in Cairo, Egypt. After graduation he worked for international relief organizations in the West Bank, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Lebanon. He graduated with an MPA from Princeton University in 2006, and joined the U.S. State Department as a Foreign Service Officer in 2007. Nick is presently serving at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, where he coordinates political reporting on Iraq’s southern provinces. His 15-month tour will conclude in September 2008.

What’s a favorite memory about UW-Madison?

I wasn’t much of a high school student, and I remember the day freshmen year when I realized I was actually enjoying going to class.  That feeling never really left me, and it marked a turning point in how I saw myself and the world around me.  Oh, and all the partying.

How did UW-Madison prepare you for what you do now?

The Arabic classes certainly helped.

What drew you to study Arabic?

I wanted to study something different and considered Chinese and Arabic. I’m more or less tone deaf, so settled on Arabic. At the time, I endured a lot of skepticism from people who thought Arabic was useless. That changed four years later.

Why did you choose to study abroad in Cairo?

I knew the only way I would ever really learn Arabic was to live somewhere in the Middle East.  What I didn’t realize was that, seven years later, I’d still have so much Arabic left to learn.

What is your most memorable experience while studying abroad in Cairo?

I represented the U.S. in the annual Model UN simulation, and managed to convince all of the Egyptian students to join a coalition against Russia (I happened to be dating the ‘Russian’ delegate at the time).  If only I could be as successful a diplomat in real life…

What skills did you learn while studying abroad that help you now?

Cairo was a plunge into Egyptian culture.  In some ways this tour has been a plunge into the culture of the U.S. military.  Very different, but the same rules apply: treat people with patience and dignity and always be willing to learn.

What languages do you use everyday?

English and Arabic.

What advice would you give to an undergraduate student with ambitions to go into international diplomacy?

As a senior at UW, I failed the oral exam for the Foreign Service.  It was the best thing that ever happened to me, and led to a very interesting couple of years working abroad in conflict zones.  All that’s to say, don’t stress out too much about your long-term career, as hard as that might be, but find something you enjoy doing and do it.  The Foreign Service will always be around, and the more experience you have before entering, the better a diplomat you’ll be.

What do you see the role that American international diplomacy will play in the next five years?

Ask me again in November.

by UW-Madison student Catherine Skroch

Read more about Catherine’s Adventures in Africa.

At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I am majoring in Political Science, International Studies, and an individual major in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution. I came to Senegal knowing that I wanted to research the little-known conflict in the southern region of Casamance. Frankly, I knew almost nothing about it either, except that it has been going on for a long time and that it has mostly been ignored by the international community. So I started doing my homework.

Most violent conflicts are born out of complex webs of fears and rivalries, spirals of retribution, and civic frustration. It is often difficult to determine who fired the first shot, and normative judgements like ¨who’s right and who’s wrong?¨ are near to impossible. When it comes to civil war like this one, it is hard to tell the difference between civilian and soldier. The Casamance Conflict is no different. Everyone has been affected. Everyone’s got scars.

The Casmance Conflict is a small-scale civil war that has been waged between the Senegalese government and the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance since 1984. The question was originally over the independence of the Casamance region, which is separated from greater Senegal by the Gambia and inhabited mostly by the Jola people. However, as conflicts seem to do, the reason behind the violence began to shift as the Casamancaises began to feel marginalized by the Senegalese government, whom they felt was cutting them off economically and socially as a form of punishment for the separatist movement. (more…)

By Adam Lichtenheld

When I tell people that I’m studying abroad in Cairo this semester, I brace myself for a facial response that has become all too common—initial interest inevitably twisted into a concerned frown. Next, I’m badgered with questions about safety, bombings, and Islamic terrorism. Having known friends that traveled to Egypt and returned not only unscathed but radiant and raving about the country, this reaction irritates and frustrates me. It represents the ignorance with which Americans view the Middle East, the perpetual misunderstandings in U.S.-Arab relations, the foundation on which hatred, violence, and even international wars have been built.

At the same time, the questions often make me second-guess my decision. Why didn’t I choose to embark on the typical college study-abroad experience, traveling to exotic and alluring locales in Europe where the parties, adventures, and beautiful women were a glorious trans-Atlantic extension of the thrilling university lifestyle to which I was accustomed? Why did I feel compelled to do something different, to thrust myself into a radically different environment that lacked the comfort, familiarity, and safety of many international programs?

The answer is simple: purpose. There is no greater tragedy in the world than the lack of rapport between the Middle East and the U.S. Bridging this cultural gap must be today’s step for tomorrow’s leaders who hope to avoid the mistakes of their predecessors.

This is not to say that going to Egypt lacks academic relevance. It provides me with the opportunity to achieve fluency in Arabic and take my final language classes to complete my international studies degree, skills which are critical prerequisites to a future diplomatic career in the U.S. State Department, a career path that interests me greatly. Moreover, Egypt fascinates me. I crave exposure to the country’s rich cultures, deep history, and breathtaking scenery; to its customs, legacies, and rituals; to the beauty of the desert, of the Nile River, and the legendary pyramids of Giza.

But my primary inspiration for studying in Egypt lies in a personal mission. I want to be an ambassador for my country and help solidify a bridge between the U.S. and the Middle East, an endeavor in which “official” diplomats have persistently failed. I hope that, by developing close relationships with Egyptians and Arabs, by breaking down cultural barriers with every conversation and handshake, I will return home with an enlightened perspective to share with my family and peers. The most crucial education is not the one that I’ll be receiving in the classroom. After living in Uganda this past summer, I firmly believe that young adults can do nothing better to contribute to their personal growth and development than live in a culture that is so drastically different from their own. The opportunity for self-discovery lies in experiences like these; they are the tools which with young people mold themselves into the people they strive to become.

Five years ago, an era of innocence crumbled for me on September 11th. I’ve never felt more powerless than I did then. Now, I have the chance to address a civilization gap that continues to spawn hatred, fear, and unspeakable violence. I’ve never felt more empowered than I do now.

So while I am determined to seize this opportunity for my academic goals, for future career opportunities, for my language skills, and for my personal growth and development; I am fundamentally driven by a realization that, in a world imploding on its own inability to communicate, empathize and understand, it is so desperately needed.

Adam Lichtenheld is a UW-Madison student majoring in political science.

Julie Curti studied abroad in Bonn, Germany during her junior year in 2004-2005. When she returned to her studies in political science and geography at the UW-Madison, she worked as a peer advisor in the International Academic Programs’ (study abroad) office. She was awarded a Truman Scholarship in April 2006, the first UW-Madison student to receive this prestigious award in six years. Here are some of her observations on the importance of studying abroad.

One of the best academic and personal decisions I made was to study abroad for a year. Studying in Bonn appealed to me for several reasons: the program offered an intensive immersion language experience, a comprehensive orientation course, the chance to take real university classes, and the opportunity to live in a dorm with German students. As I expected, all of these program aspects were wonderfully helpful in getting me acquainted with my new world. Even more though, I found that it was the small surprises: being able to follow German politics on the news, finding a new grocery store, a friendly interaction with a local resident, or a dream not in English but in German, that made each day unique.

Not everything was easy of course. I was homesick, physically sick and scared to see a German doctor, endlessly confused over the bureaucracy of my host country, and frustrated by the challenge of learning a second language. Yet I found that even the aspects I disliked about my experience helped me to learn. They showed me what I appreciated about my own country, and how much more I still had to learn before I could ever understand German society. Overall, studying abroad has probably impacted me in more ways than I may ever realize but I do know that I am a more open, patient, independent, culturally sensitive and aware person because of my year in Germany.

Studying abroad is not only an important component to one’s education, but also a lesson in how to live. Not too often in life (if ever), does one get the chance to travel to the country of their choice and actually live there, not just visit for a short time, but to establish a daily life and routine within a new community. From such an experience come amazing benefits: the chance to explore the boundaries of a new society, learn a second language, meet people from many backgrounds, gain new perspectives on the world, and discover a new level of self-confidence, independence, and identity for one’s self.

For more on Curti and her award, go to http://www.news.wisc.edu/12409.html